Dr. James Kent Purves

Born in Truro on March 17, 1922, he was the son of the late Thomas Dickson Archibald Purves (North Sydney) and Caroline Mary Ewart Blair (Truro). Jim was raised and educated in North Sydney and Halifax.

At 17 he distinguished himself as a marksman with the Halifax Rifles (Cadets) by winning the Merchants Cup. Later that year, in Ottawa, he competed for a position on the Canadian Bisley team.

In April 1940, he volunteered with the Royal Canadian Air Force and trained as a pilot in St Catherine's and Brantford. He shipped overseas in April 1941 and was seconded to the Royal Air Force flying light bombers. In November 1941, he was transferred to the Middle East via Gibraltar and Malta. His time in Egypt included two months service with the Long Range Desert Group in North Africa. He was transferred to Burma in late 1941 completing his first tour in early 1943.

Jim volunteered for a second tour and returned to England in late 1943 as Flight Lieutenant. He witnessed the D-day invasion fleet approaching the French coast as he returned from an early morning sortie over Normandy. He served with distinction in Europe, North Africa, Malta, India and Burma and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in September 1944. He retired from active duty in September 1945, but remained in the RCAF medical reserve until 1953.

After the war, he completed one year of pre-med and was accepted into Medicine at Dalhousie University. Graduating in 1951, Jim specialized in General Surgery under the mentorship of Dr. Alan Curry and Dr. Eddie Ross, leading to a long and successful career as a surgeon and associate professor of surgery at Dalhousie University that spanned 35 years.

He was a founding member of the Halifax Grammar School, a life member of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron and an enthusiastic member of the “Gaspers” at Ashburn Golf Club and an active member of the United Services. He loved to sail with his pals and had many happy times sailing around Nova Scotia and in the Caribbean. Jim was also an avid salmon fisherman and travelled widely with son Tom, to various destinations in search of the elusive "tug". Jim read extensively, particularly British history. He was well versed and current in many subjects beyond medicine until his death. Another of his passions was genealogy and he spent many happy years studying the Purves clan and its collateral branches. He had success in tracing his ancestry far back to its colonial American, Scottish, Irish and English roots.

Jim married Mary Finlayson Tobin of Halifax in 1946 and they lived happily together until her death in 1994.

He was predeceased by his first wife Teresa Moran of Manchester, England; brother Blair(Nancy), Halifax; sister Grace (J.C. Phillips), Toronto and his daughter Jane of Halifax.

He is survived by his daughter Caroline (John Walker-Haworth), London, England; his son Thomas ( Linda Keddy), Halifax and daughter Jillian (Rick Haupt) of Halifax; grandson, Thomas MacEachern ( Kristen Tynes) and great-granddaughters Morgan and Rory all of Dartmouth; grandson Leigh Walker-Haworth( Sophie Lovett) and their son Arthur, Devon, England; grandson Jamie Walker-Haworth (Nataliya Dronova) and their children Ilya and Anna, London, England; grandsons James Purves, Halifax and Sebastian Haupt, Edmonton; granddaughters Caroline “Gracie” Haupt,Toronto and Ellen Purves of Halifax, his big sister Josephine Prentice (Renfrew, Ontario) and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Jim always had a twinkle in his eye, loved his whisky and was full of life. He was not judgemental of human frailty and saw the positive in everything. He was an inspiration and mentor to his family, students and his many friends. He will be greatly missed.

The family would like to thank the staff at Parkland on the Gardens for all they did to make him enjoy his home there and the staff and doctors of 8.3 at QEII, Halifax Infirmary for their kind and professional care.

There will be a reception to honour his memory at Saraguay House, 360 Purcell's Cove Rd. at 3pm.